Facade vending machines

ABSTRACT

A decorative facade for use with an array of vending machinesm comprises a main rail, preferably in the form f an extrusion, extending horizontally behind the vending machines and secured to a wall. A plurality of support brackets are held in place by the main rail nd the wall. The brackets include a forward mounting strut which supports top and bottom mounting members. Fascia panels are supported on the mounting members. The facade may also include one or more side posts which support an end panel to complete the facade. Vertical panels are provided to cover the gap between the end post and the adjacent vending machine and, if desired, the gap between adjacent vending machines.

[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. provisional application serial No. 60/264,416, filed Jan. 26, 2001, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates to a facade which can be assembled over an array of vending machines to improve the appearance of the vending area.

[0003] Typically, vending areas have a rather tacky appearance, to the dismay of facility owners and managers. Consequently, there is increasing demand to dress-up these areas to make them relate better to the surrounding environment and to make them more enticing to consumers, thereby increasing vending sales.

[0004] To date, housings or facades on and over vending machines areas have been based largely on structures built from the floor up or attached in some way to the vending machines themselves. The problem with such structures is that they are generally made to order to fit a given configuration of vending machines in the United States, which, are usually 72″ high but can vary significantly in width. Some machines require a 1.5″ gap to allow for door swings, while others can be butted together. A rigid, floor based system makes it difficult to change the configuration of machines and, in some cases, difficult to even remove a machine for servicing.

[0005] Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a modular facade system for use with vending machines which can accommodate different machine sizes and configurations.

[0006] Another object of the invention is to provide a modular facade system for vending machines wherein the machines can be removed and replaced without disassembling the facade.

[0007] It is a further object of the invention to provide a facade for vending machines which is easy to install at the site of the machines.

[0008] Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a modular facade system for vending machines which can adopt different “looks and feels” and wherein the appearance can be changed from time to time, if desired, without altering the underlying structure.

[0009] Still a further object of the invention is to provide a modular facade system for vending machines wherein accessories such as lighting fixtures, banners, signs and other components can be easily added to the system and/or repositioned if desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Briefly, in accordance with the invention, a facade for use with an array of vending machines comprises an elongated main rail which extends horizontally behind the vending machines and which can be secured to a wall, for example, by bolting. A plurality of support brackets are mounted on the main rail and extend over the vending machines. The support brackets can be moved horizontally along the main rail to adjust their positions with respect to the machines during installation. Each support bracket includes a forward mounting strut. One or more decorative fascia panels are supported on the mounting struts above the vending machines.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a section of a vending machine facade in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0012]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the facade section of FIG. 1 partially assembled;

[0013]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the facade section fully assembled;

[0014]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the right side of the facade;

[0015]FIG. 5 is a sectional view along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

[0016]FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the structure shown in the circle labeled “FIG. 6” in FIG. 5;

[0017]FIG. 7 is a sectional view along the line 7-7 of FIG. 4;

[0018]FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the structure shown in the circle labeled “FIG. 8” in FIG. 5;

[0019]FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the structure shown in the circle labeled “FIG. 9” in FIG. 5;

[0020]FIG. 10 is a side sectional view showing an alternative embodiment of the main horizontal rail on which the facade is supported;

[0021]FIG. 11A is a side sectional view of the main rail;

[0022]FIG. 11B is a side sectional view of the accessory track;

[0023]FIG. 11C is a sectional view of the corner post;

[0024]FIG. 11D is a sectional view of the upper U-channel extrusion, the bottom U-channel extrusion being identical thereto;

[0025]FIG. 11E is a sectional view of one of the F-channel extrusions;

[0026]FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing how an end panel is attached to an end support bracket;

[0027]FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of the upper position of an end panel attached to an end bracket;

[0028]FIG. 14 is a sectional view along the line 14-14 of FIG. 2;

[0029]FIG. 15 is a cross sectional view of an alternative top mounting member which can be used in accordance with the invention;

[0030]FIG. 16 is a cross sectional view of an alternative bottom mounting member; and

[0031]FIG. 17 is a side sectional view showing how the mounting members of FIGS. 15 and 16 are used to support a fascia panel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Referring first to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a section of a facade, in accordance with the invention, is shown in conjunction with three vending machines 8A, 8B and 8C. Typically, these vending machines would be stand alone items arranged in a room or corridor of an office building where they are accessible to the employees. As shown in FIG. 3, the invention provides an attractive facade which makes the area more appealing to potential customers. As will become apparent from the following description, the construction is such that the facade can easily be changed to vary the “look and feel” of the area; moreover, the facade will accommodate vending machines of different sizes. The facade can be easily assembled, and disassembly is not necessary if the vending machines are to be changed.

[0033] The facade is supported on a main horizontal rail 10 which is bolted to the wall behind the vending machines 8A, 8B and 8C. The rail 10 includes a flange 10A having a multiplicity of apertures (not numbered) through which appropriately spaced bolts 13 (FIG. 12) extend into the wall.

[0034] A group of triangular support brackets 12 (four of which are illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) are slidably mounted in support rail 10 so that they can be optimally positioned with respect to the vending machines. The bracket 12′ at the end of the facade serves a slightly different function as explained below. Each support bracket 12 includes three arms 12A, 12B and 12C and a vertical mounting strut 20 attached to the forward ends of the bracket sides 12A and 12C. The bracket parts may be welded together. Top and bottom mounting members in the form of U-channel extrusions 24 and 26, respectively, are secured to the ends of the struts 20. Decorative fascia panels 16 are hung from the upper channel 24 as described below.

[0035] The ends of the facade are enclosed by a decorative end panel 32 which is retained within a corner post 42 and a rear “F” extrusion 43. An accessory track 46 may be attached to the tops of the support bracket arms 12A as described below to support accessories such as a light 27 and banner bracket 29 (see FIG. 3).

[0036] In the preferred embodiment, the gap between the side panel 42 and the adjacent vending machine 8A is covered by a decorative vertical panel 36. Similar vertical panels (not shown) may be provided to cover gaps between adjacent vending machines. Vertical nylon “strip brushes” 39 may be employed to cover gaps between adjacent vending machines. Horizontal brushes 37 are mounted in the bottom extrusion 26 to cover the gap between the decorative panels 16 and the tops of the vending machines.

[0037] The main horizontal rail 10 may be an aluminum extrusion (see FIGS. 9 and 11A) having a slot 11 which receives the upper end of a mounting tab 14 welded to the back of support bracket arm 12B. With this arrangement, the support brackets 12 can be positioned horizontally with respect to the main rail 10 to accommodate different vending machines and configurations. FIG. 9 shows how the tab 14 is inserted into the main rail (in phantom lines) and allowed to fall into its operational position (in solid lines).

[0038] A leveling pad 18 extends from the rear of the support arm 12C (FIG. 5) and rests against the wall beneath rail 10 to provide a rigid support for each bracket 12. The leveling pad 18 is preferably threadedly received within arm 12C. By adjusting the extension of pad 18, each supporting bracket 12 may be mounted with the upper arm 12A precisely horizontal and the mounting strut 20 precisely vertical. If the support brackets are not exactly aligned in this fashion, the panels 16 do not line up properly, leaving gaps between them and an uneven border above the machines. The adjustable leveling pads 18 enable the brackets to be aligned exactly even when the surface of the supporting wall is uneven.

[0039] When the brackets 12 are mounted, the bottoms of each of the vertical struts 20 should be about one inch above the tops of the vending machines to provide clearance for the machines to be raised on a pallet jack for removal.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 8, the top horizontal U-channel 24 is connected to the top of each strut 20 by a suitable fastener such as a bolt 25A and rivnut 25B within the top surface of the strut. The bottom horizontal U-channel extrusion 26 is connected in the same way to the bottoms of the vertical struts 20. The centers of the U-channel extrusions 24 and 26 may be prepunched with holes one inch apart on center to facilitate attachment of the U-channel extrusions to the vertical struts 20.

[0041] The number of support brackets 12 required to support the panels 16 depends on the weight of the panels. In most situations, one bracket per vending machine will suffice. The brackets can be positioned directly over the vending machines or in between them. If a vertical panel 36 is used, a support bracket 12 should be centered on the panel.

[0042] When the upper horizontal U-channel extrusion 24 is attached to the support brackets 12, it makes the combined structure quite rigid and provides a continuous horizontal mounting member on which to hang the decorative fascia panels 16.

[0043] The fascia panels 16 can be of varying thickness, but are preferably about {fraction (1/4)} inch thick. They can be made from a variety of materials, such as acrylic, MDF (medium density fibreboard) panels, plywood with plastic laminate face, etc. Solid or laminated metals such as brass or aluminum can be used as well. A U-channel 44 (FIG. 8) is fastened across the top horizontal rear edge of each panel 16 using mechanical fasteners or double faced adhesive tape. If metal panels are being used, the metal can be brake formed with an integral U-channel. The channel 44 hangs over the top U-channel extrusion 24 spanning the support brackets 12.

[0044] The bottom horizontal U-channel extrusion 26 (FIGS. 6 and 11D) also helps to make the entire structure rigid; moreover, it serves two additional purposes.

[0045] First, the extrusion 26 is formed with a small square inner channel 26A which is designed to retain the black nylon “strip brushes” 37. These brushes extend below the bottoms of the fascia panels 16, the bottom edges of which (for example) may be positioned one inch above the top of the vending machines. The brushes 37 fill in the gap between the fascia panels 16 and the tops of the vending machines 22. They are flexible enough to allow for the machines to be raised up to one inch off the floor on a pallet jack for removal.

[0046] Second, the forward section of the extrusion 26 includes a recess (not numbered) in which a strip of magnetic tape 38 (see FIG. 6) is attached, for example, adhesively. The magnetic tape 38 mates with a thin piece of ferrous material 38A on the bottom edge of the fascia panel 16 to keep the panels properly aligned and plumb.

[0047] The end panel 32 fits in with the look and feel of the overall facade. In some installations, an end panel may not be necessary or desirable. Panel 32 may be made of the same material as the fascia panel 16. It is supported by means of a radiused corner post 42, a wall F-channel 43 and a floor F-channel 45. Post 42 and channels 43 and 45 may also be aluminum extrusions. The shape of the post 42 is shown in FIGS. 11C and 14. It includes a channel 42A which receives one end of the panel 32, a channel 42B which, in the illustrated embodiment, receives an end of the panel 36, and a channel 42C which receives the forward end of the end support bracket 12′. The F-channel extrusion 43 (FIG. 11F) includes a channel 43A which receives the rear end of the end panel 32. F-channel 45 which has the same shape, includes a channel which receives the bottom of the end panel 32.

[0048] The wall F-channel 43 includes apertures (not shown) in its rear flange so that it can be attached to the support wall, for example, by self-tapping screws. A Z-clip 30 (FIGS. 12 and 13) is attached to the outward facing side of the end support bracket 12′. These parts may be preassembled or they may be screwed together by suitable fasteners at the time of installation. Likewise, a mating Z-clip 31 is attached to the top end of the panel 32. With the floor F-channel 45 in place on the end panel 32, the end panel is then hung on the end support bracket 12′ by interlocking the two z-clips 30 and 31 (FIG. 13) and then moved toward the wall so that it sits within the channel 43A flush with the supporting wall. The radiused corner post 42 is then attached to the forward edge of panel 32 with the vertical strut 20′ seated securely within the channel 42C. The end panel 32, forward panel 36 and end bracket 12′ may then be attached to the corner post 42 by means of self tapping screws 33 or the like (FIG. 14). End panel 32 may be securely attached to the end bracket 12′ by a suitable screws or the like. After the floor F-channel 45 has been properly positioned it may be attached to the end panel by screws (not shown) and to the floor using suitable anchors (not shown) passing through the flange into the floor. The flange of the wall F-channel 43 may be attached to the wall by means of self-tapping screws.

[0049] With the end panel 32 in place, the top U-channel extrusion 24 is then secured to the upper surfaces of the vertical struts 20 using bolts 25A which engage rivnuts 25B (FIG. 8) in the strut. Depending on the length of the extrusions, more than one extrusion ordinarily will be required, in which case abutting ends may be spliced together.

[0050] The bottom U-channel extrusion 26 is then secured to the lower surfaces of the struts 20 with the “U” facing downwards as shown in FIG. 7. The bottom extrusion 26 may be connected to the struts 20 in the same way as the upper extrusion 24 and adjacent ends spliced in the same way. After the bottom extrusion is in place, the top strip brushes 37 are inserted into the small U-channel 26A (FIG. 11D). The strip brushes 37 may come in six foot lengths and can be cut to size. They should extend the entire width of the facade between adjacent end panels 36.

[0051] After the top and bottom extrusions 24 and 26 are in place, the vertical panels 36, which may also be made of the same material as the fascia panels 16, are installed. Only one vertical panel is shown in the drawings. In addition to covering the space between corner post 42 and an adjacent vending machine, one or more vertical panels may be positioned at different points along the facade to bridge gaps between adjacent vending machines.

[0052] Each vertical panel 36 should be centered on a support bracket 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the vertical panel 36 is centered on the end support bracket 12′. The panel 36 is supported by a support brace 35 (FIG. 1) which may be attached at its upper end to the vertical strut 20′ of end support bracket 12′ for example by a nut 39A and bolt 39B (FIG. 7). The panel 36, in the preferred embodiment, is adhesively attached to the support brace 35, for example, by means of a double sided adhesive tape (not shown) attached to the outer surface of the brace 35. Before connecting the brace and panel, the bottom end of the panel is inserted into an F-channel extension 47 and the upper end into an H-channel extension 49 (FIG. 7). The left hand side of panel 36, as mentioned above, should be placed into the slot 42B of the corner post 42 before adhesively securing brace 35 and panel 36 together.

[0053] With the vertical panels in place, an accessory track 46, which may also be an aluminum extrusion (see FIGS. 8 and 11B) may be attached to the upper arms 12A of the support brackets 12. The accessory track 46 may also be an aluminum extrusion and is designed to support any of a number of accessories such as light fixture 27 and banner bracket 29. The accessories may include a flange 50 that “lifts and drops” into a C-channel 52 on the accessory track 46. Typically, the accessory would extend over the fascia panel 16 but some accessories might simply extend upwardly. The accessory track 46 may be attached to the arm 12A by means of a bolt 51 which engage rivnuts 53 embedded within the arms 12A. A feature of the accessory track 46 is that the accessories can be moved laterally so that lighting, for example, can be centered over a vending machine, or a sign positioned on the fascia and easily repositioned should the configuration change.

[0054] The fascia panels can accept a wide variety of signs and displays that can be adhered to the fascia or end panels with mechanical fasteners, double faced adhesive tapes, or hooks that extend over the top edge of the fascia panels 16.

[0055] At this point in the assembly the vending machines 8A, 8B and 8C may be moved into position. To further enhance the appearance of the area, vertical side strip brushes 59 (see FIG. 2) may be attached (for example, magnetically) to one or both sides of the vending machines to conceal the gap between them (which may be 1.5 inches).

[0056] After the vending machines are in place, the fascia panels 16 are installed. The panels 16 are hung by dropping the U-channel 44 (see FIG. 8) over the upper U-channel extrusion 24 and carefully fitting the left hand edge of the panel into the slot 42B of the corner post 42. Where the panel overlies a vertical panel 36, care is also taken to make sure that the bottom of the panel 16 fits into the upper portion of the H-extrusion 49 (see FIG. 7). When the panel is properly mounted, the ferrous strip 38A should engage the magnetic tape 38 retained within the forward recess of lower U-channel extrusion 26 (FIG. 7).

[0057] Instead of using a main horizontal rail 10 with a single groove as shown in FIGS. 1-3, a main horizontal rail 10′ having a series of grooves may be used as shown in FIG. 10. With the configuration shown in FIG. 10 and with the support member mounting tab 14′ shaped as shown, the support brackets 12 may be mounted at different heights. This would enable the height of the facade to be changed without having to reinstall the main rail.

[0058] In situations where the vending machines vary in height, the fascia panels 16 may also vary in height to fill in the gaps. In that case, the individual panels would correspond in length to the widths of the machines. Where machine (and fascia panel) heights are uniform, the lengths of the panels may be independent of machine width, e.g. a sixteen foot facade could include two light foot fascia panels or three five foot fascia panels and one one foot vertical panel. 

1. A facade for use with a plurality of vending machines, comprising a main rail (10) extending horizontally behind the vending machines, a plurality of support brackets (12) mounted on said main rail, each support bracket including a forward mounting strut (20), and at least one fascia panel (16) connected to the mounting struts of the support brackets.
 2. A facade according to claim 1, including a horizontal top mounting member (24) secured to the tops of said mounting struts (20), said fascia panels (16) including means (44) for engaging said top mounting member (24).
 3. A facade according to claim 2, including a horizontal bottom mounting member (26) secured to the bottoms of said mounting struts, said bottom member and fascia panels including cooperating magnetic means for holding the panel against said bottom mounting member.
 4. A facade according to claim 1, including a vertical corner post (42) secured to one of said support brackets (12), and an end panel (32) connected to said corner post and said one support bracket.
 5. A facade according to claim 4, including an end panel support (43) adapted to be secured to a wall and engaging the end of the end panel (32) opposite the corner post (42).
 6. A facade according to claim 1, including a vertical panel (36), the upper end of said vertical panel being attached to the mounting strut of one of said support brackets (12′).
 7. A facade according to claim 4, including a vertical panel (36), the upper end of said vertical panel being connected to the mounting strut of one of said support brackets (12) and an edge of said vertical panel being connected to said corner post.
 8. A facade according to claim 7, wherein said vertical corner post is an extrusion having elongated slots for receiving an edge of said end panel (32) and an edge of said vertical panel (36).
 9. A facade according to claim 1, wherein each of said support brackets includes a mounting pad extending rearwardly therefrom for engaging a wall when the supporting bracket is connected to the main rail, the position of the mounting pad being adjustable to enable the support brackets to be precisely aligned on an uneven wall.
 10. A facade according to claim 3, wherein each of said support brackets includes a mounting pad extending rearwardly therefrom for engaging a wall when the supporting bracket is connected to the main rail, the position of the mounting pad being adjustable to enable the support brackets to be precisely aligned on an uneven wall.
 11. A facade according to claim 4, wherein each of said support brackets includes a mounting pad extending rearwardly therefrom for engaging a wall when the supporting bracket is connected to the main rail, the position of the mounting pad being adjustable to enable the support brackets to be precisely aligned on an uneven wall.
 12. A facade according to claim 6, wherein said vertical panel includes a brace, said brace being attachable to one of said mounting struts and wherein means are provided for attaching said vertical panel to said brace.
 13. A facade according to claim 1, including a horizontal accessory track (46) adapted to support one or more accessories, and means for attaching said accessory track to the upper surfaces of said support brackets.
 14. A facade according to claim 3, including a horizontal accessory track (46) adapted to support one or more accessories, and means for attaching said accessory track to the upper surfaces of said support brackets.
 15. A facade according to claim 1, wherein said main rail is an extruded member including an elongated slot and wherein each of said support brackets includes a rear tab slidable along said slot within said main rail and adapted to retain the support bracket in its operational position.
 16. A facade according to claim 3, wherein said main rail is an extruded member including an elongated slot and wherein each of said support brackets includes a rear tab slidable along said slot within said main rail and adapted to retain the support bracket in its operational position.
 17. A facade according to claim 4, wherein said main rail is an extruded member including an elongated slot and wherein each of said support brackets includes a rear tab slidable along said slot within said main rail and adapted to retain the support bracket in its operational position.
 18. A facade according to claim 3, wherein said bottom mounting member (26) is an extrusion and includes an elongated channel, and further including a horizontal decorative member (37) retained within said elongated channel and extending downwardly to fill the gap between the bottoms of said decorative panels and the tops of said vending machines.
 19. A facade according to claim 6, wherein a horizontal member H-shaped in cross section engages the top of said fascia panel (36) and at least a portion of the bottom of an adjacent decorative panel (16).
 20. A facade for use with a plurality of vending machines, comprising a main rail (10) extending horizontally behind the vending machines, said rail being connectable to a wall behind the vending machines and including an elongated slot, a plurality of support brackets (12) mounted on said main rail, each support bracket including a member for engaging said slot, a forward mounting strut (20′), and an adjustable rearwardly extending pad (18), a horizontal top mounting member (24) secured to the tops of said mounting struts (20), and at least one fascia panel (16) connected to said top mounting member.
 21. A facade according to claim 20, including a horizontal bottom mounting member (26) secured to the bottoms of said mounting struts, said bottom member and fascia panels including cooperating magnetic means for holding the panels against said 4 bottom mounting member.
 22. A facade according to claim 20, including a vertical corner post (42) secured to one of said support brackets (12), and an end panel (32) connected to said corner post and said one support bracket.
 23. A facade according to claim 22, including an end panel support (43) adapted to be secured to a wall and engaging the end of the end panel (32) opposite the corner post (42).
 24. A facade according to claim 20, including at least one vertical panel (36), the upper end of said vertical panel being attached to the mounting strut of one of said support brackets.
 25. A facade according to claim 22, including a vertical panel (36), the upper end of said vertical panel being connected to the mounting strut of one of said support brackets (12′) and an edge of said vertical panel being connected to said corner post.
 26. A facade according to claim 25, wherein said vertical corner post is an extrusion having elongated slots for receiving an edge of said end panel (32) and an edge of said vertical panel (36).
 27. A facade according to claim 20, including a horizontal accessory track (24) and means for attaching said accessory track to the upper surfaces of said support brackets.
 28. A facade according to claim 20, wherein said main rail is an extruded member including an elongated slot and wherein each of said support brackets includes a rear tab slidable along said slot within said main rail and adapted to retain the support bracket in its operational position.
 29. A facade according to claim 27, wherein the accessory track (24) and top mounting member (24) form a single unitary element.
 30. A facade according to claim 24, wherein said bottom mounting member (26) includes a channel for receiving the upper end of said vertical panel (36). 